Which Federal Return to Attach to California NR using Separate Filing Status

[GregK]

Taxpayers filed 2019 Joint Federal Return. Husband is in military, resident of California. Wife lives in New York. Filing a California Non-resident (540NR) , Status Married Filing Separately for husband. Electronic filing requires that I send a copy of the federal return to California. My file includes a "dummy" federal return but it is not being filed since they are filing a joint federal return. Is it OK to send the "dummy" federal return as an attachment to the California return or should I be doing something else?

[sjrcpa]

I would not attach the dummy return since that is not the federal return that got filed. I'd attach the MFJ federal return.

[GregK]

Thanks, but I'm not sure if I can do that in Lacerte. They're two separate files.

[sjrcpa]

You can attach the MFJ as a pdf but I'm guessing it won't efile. I think you have a paper filed return.

[GregK]

Thanks. I think I agree.

Greg

[BobKamman · Accepted solution]

Is husband domiciled in California, or just stationed there?  Trying to figure out why a separate return would be better, unless he also has non-military California-source income.

https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2019/2019-1032-publication.pdf